Monthly Archives: August 2014

In college years, everyone packs on a few. But now I’m 30 and I feel (and see) the damage that I have done to my body from the excessive weight fluctuations, 2 c-sections, and a poor lifestyle. Diabetes is rampant on both sides of my gene pool and with the 30 hump in hindsight, I am starting to look to the future. I looked at 30 somethings as a 20 something and noted how different their bodies were. Things just… don’t quite bounce back as quickly. Those that made the changes right around 30 seemed to have decent senior years. After retirement, I might move to better Active adult apartments where I might get better health facilities along with a less sedentary lifestyle. This is my last chance.

Now back to the topic. After my, now 6 year old, son was born, I was the largest I’ve ever been in my life. I was 270 lbs! I lost 70 lbs over the next few years with changes to my lifestyle. I followed a Weight Watchers plan, and worked out regularly (although, I’ll admit it was mostly core training… I’m just not for gyrating) I was down to about 25 lbs from my high school weight; I felt AMAZING! Then, I got my wish and got pregnant! I had my daughter, and last child, 17 months ago. I would like to blame a lot of my weight issues on pregnancy, but the honest truth is, I am in control of my weight. I am in control of what I am putting into my body. I just don’t care. I have allowed myself to forget everything that I learned. After my daughter was born, I only weighed 30 lbs more than I did when I got pregnant. Instead of buckling down to lose the weight I gave up and blamed it on breast feeding. I have gained 20 lbs since she was born and I feel bigger everyday. Shame on me.

Then I came across this video: This video not only made me think of myself and my own eating habits, but how my habits are affecting my already overweight husband (since I do all the cooking) and my children. My son is thin now, but I was thin until puberty. My daughter will probably be tall and I want to show her the right way to be healthy. I definitely don’t want to give her a complex and I want her to be a kid, but if she is like me and my cousins, she will likely have some weight on her and I want her to know how to handle that as puberty comes. As a mother, I am affecting ALL the members of my family with my eating habits. This video left me in tears. My eating has got to get under control. There are so many emotional factors that play into food addiction. I have to remember that we eat to live, not the other way around. This weekend, I had an occasion that I had to dress up a tad for. Well, just blue jeans and a t shirt wouldn’t cut it… What I found was heartbreaking for me. I ended up with my head in my hands saying how I hated my body. HATED. I feel trapped. I can’t live like this.

I no longer smoke, which was a big problem for me. I quit with my son for 10 months but picked up one, and that was it. My parents each smoked 3-4 packs, a day, a piece my whole life. (They are both hitting one whole month cigarette free this week! Bravo!) I am watching my father, who has COPD, Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis suffocate to death. He recently had a bout with his COPD and he came home with oxygen. I guess it scared him enough that he thought he would die this time. My smoking habit can damage my body severely and I might suffer from several diseases in my old age like my father. At that time, only retirement homes and assisted living in Toms River, NJ (or similar houses) might provide essential medical care and nursing. If I had any desire to smoke before, it is gone now. I will never smoke again. I am now 2 years and 2 months clear of cigarettes! So there’s that. Quitting smoking is one of the best things I’ve done. It reduces so many health problems, so it’s important that more people consider making this lifestyle change. Whilst quitting does seem difficult, there are ways to slowly reduce the need for nicotine. One way of doing this is by swapping the cigarettes for premium e liquid. Vaping is said to be a good method to help people quit smoking as people can monitor the level of nicotine that they’re consuming. Perhaps vaping is something that more people should try to help them quit.

I have started a group on Facebook that I believe can offer support to those looking to make a change to their lives, and food does not have to be the change you’re making. Healthy Living Support Group is a place those who are looking to continue on their path to healthiness or those who are just starting out can all come together and offer support to each other. If you are already healthy and looking to maintain and speak to people with your same mindset, come join us! I would love to hear of your journey. We already have a very diverse, very open minded, non judgmental atmosphere. I am excited to see what we can make happen! Post weight loss photos, recipes, what works for you, ideas, whatever that you’d like to share. If you do a specific workout routine that you want to share, we’d love to hear it! I understand that different things work for different people. Hopefully this group can be also serve as a source for different options for even those who are looking for what will work for them.

Link to Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/339874786174933/